Chapter 31
Qi Junmu chose this moment to demonstrate his utmost trust in Shen Nian. He had Ruan Jiqing present the letter and opened it right in front of Shen Nian.
As Shen Nian had suspected, the letter was indeed from Yang Jinglei, sent express from Qingzhou overnight, and it clearly detailed the assassination attempt on Qi Junzhuo.
The Emperor scanned it quickly. Upon reaching the end, his gaze lingered for a moment, then he folded the letter with a composed expression and placed it on the imperial desk.
Seeing that Qi Junmu was now looking his way, Shen Nian rose at once and said, "Your Majesty, this humble subject has not entered the palace these past days. There is bound to be talk among the imperial guards, and some patrol duties may have been neglected. I beg permission to take my leave."
Qi Junmu gave him a few more careful reminders before allowing him to withdraw.
As Shen Nian reached the palace gate, he could not help but glance back at the figure within. The man he gazed upon was looking back at him with an air of casual indifference. Their eyes met, and the Emperor raised an eyebrow, as if asking whether he had any further business.
Shen Nian responded with a stiff, awkward smile, then spun around and hurried away.
On his way to the Imperial Guard office, Shen Nian mused that the Emperor was truly a fascinating man.
He clearly cared deeply about the contents of that letter, yet he went out of his way to look as though it meant nothing. He was plainly unsettled and anxious, yet forced himself to hide it from Shen Nian. His calm, composed demeanor while discussing the guard deployments only made him seem all the more pitiable as an Emperor.
A sovereign of an entire realm, yet unable to even own his own emotions—acting in court, acting before others, and even in private, hiding his true preferences. Truly, the life of an Emperor was no easy one.
Shen Nian could see all this but could never speak of it. Just as the Emperor knew that Shen Nian would see through him, yet still put on the same performance. In the end, Shen Nian was simply not someone Qi Junmu would ever lower his guard around.
His last remarks had already overstepped somewhat. Fortunately, the Emperor had not seen fit to pursue the matter.
Perhaps the only person in this world who could make the Emperor drop his defenses and receive his full, heartfelt attention was Prince Jin.
At this thought, Shen Nian felt a faint, inexplicable pang of bitterness. Perhaps every minister hoped that his efforts might earn him a special place in his sovereign's eyes
That, after all, was what it meant to be a loyal subject.
Meanwhile, Qi Junmu—the very man occupying Shen Nian's thoughts—was indeed examining the secret letter from Qingzhou with great care.
The letter stated that the assassins were two women of considerable martial skill. One had drawn away the guards, while the other carried out the killing. The one who acted as a decoy set a fire to create confusion, and in the chaos, the second slipped into Qi Junzhuo's chambers.
After the incident, Yang Jinglei had swiftly ordered the surrounding area cordoned off.
The imperial guards conducted a thorough search, but found no one suspicious.
The only place they had not searched was Qi Junzhuo's residence. Later, Yang Jinglei went personally to ask if Prince Jin was unharmed.
Qi Junzhuo opened the door and said he was fine—that the assassin had already left.
At this point in the letter, Yang Jinglei seemed to have hesitated; the ink pooled a little thicker in one spot. Nevertheless, he wrote truthfully: "Yet it is this minister's understanding that no one was seen leaving the Prince Jin's chambers. For reasons unknown, Prince Jin refuses to speak on the matter. It is possible that he is acting under duress."
Yang Jinglei closed by asking how he should proceed.
Qi Junmu understood Yang Jinglei's implication perfectly. He was suggesting that the assassin might still be hidden within Qi Junzhuo's rooms, and that Qi Junzhuo was either shielding the assassin under threat, or deliberately protecting her—unwilling to let anyone discover her, let alone capture her.
Qi Junmu set the letter flat upon the table and tapped it lightly with his fingers.
Ruan Jiqing, who was standing some distance away, studied the Emperor's face and could tell that he was furious. Qi Junmu was unlike others—the angrier he grew, the calmer his face became, and the colder his eyes.
Ruan Jiqing silently lamented. He had no idea what that cursed letter from Qingzhou had written, to provoke such a reaction from the Emperor.
Qi Junmu withdrew his fingers from the letter. He picked up his brush and twirled it idly in his hand for several turns, but still did not set it to paper.
He did not want to doubt Qi Junzhuo. But when something as serious as an assassination attempt had just occurred, why would Qi Junzhuo hide anything from him?
After a long hesitation, Qi Junmu lowered his gaze and wrote: Yang Jinglei was to have the captured assassin secretly escorted back to the capital immediately—without notifying Prince Jin.
The secret letter was dispatched from the palace by swift courier, galloping through the night toward Qingzhou.
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